APA Style for State Statute References

The sixth edition of the "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association" offers format and style guidelines for writers in the behavioral and social sciences. However, the APA manual refers to the 19th edition of "The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation" when citing legal topics. Originally created for professionals in the legal field, writers in other areas have adopted this publication.

In-Text Citation

When discussing information about a state statute, include an in-text reference citation in parentheses. Insert the title of the statute, a comma and the year it was passed, such as (Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, 1992). If you mention the statute in text, omit it from the parentheses.

References Page

Include in-text citations about state statutes on the References page. Begin with the title of the statute. Add a comma. Abbreviate the state's name and "statute" with "Stat." without quotation marks. Add the abbreviation for section, "§" without quotation marks. Insert the chapter number, a hyphen and the section number. Put the year in parentheses and add a period; for example: Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, Minn. Stat. § 192-1 (2012). If multiple sections are referenced, use "§§" without quotation marks and include hyphens between section numbers.

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About the Author

Living in upstate New York, Susan Sherwood is a researcher who has been writing within educational settings for more than 10 years. She has co-authored papers for Horizons Research, Inc. and the Capital Region Science Education Partnership. Sherwood has a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University at Albany.